Amanda from iambaker.net is that person for me. She’s kind, gracious, caring, and she makes the most amazing cakes and cookies you have ever seen. No, really. Amanda’s skills in the decorating department are incredible, but what floors me even more is her ability to dream up these sorts of projects. Her creativity and artistic ability are astounding.

So, this last week before Christmas, let Amanda give you a little tutorial on how to make some jaw-dropping desserts that are sure to impress the in-laws, the ‘rents, the cousins or whomever you’re looking to make a splash with this Christmas.
The Secrets To DIY Cake Magic. Today we have a special guest post from Family Style’s own Rachel Faucett.

Pretty little homemade gumdrops. I found a recipe for them in the book Celebrating Candy and wanted to give these sugary treats a try. Plus, it’s just fun to try new things.
Oreo Marshmallows. Marshmallows are a curious sweet treat for me.

When I was younger I wasn't crazy about them, I loved to heat them up in the microwave and watch them expand, but I never ate them straight out of the packet that much.
Heart milk cubes. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I am excited to share a couple projects to celebrate the holiday with subtly and style.

These milk heart cubes are a sweet surprise for your man’s morning coffee or a tall glass of milk. As they melt, the milk turns pink (the twins were in love!). To make the milk cubes, combine milk and a few drops of red food coloring together in a small bowl. Fill an ice cube tray, my heart one is from Ikea and freeze overnight. So easy, right!?! PS.
Polka Dot Cake from Bake Pop Pan.

Will putting polka dots inside a cake work?

How does one do that? I conducted a little experiment to find out. Perhaps you've seen these in the store lately and walked right by them.
Valentine’s Day Egg in the Basket. The other day, my brother and I were talking about fish sandwiches.

(Weird opening sentence, I know.) He informed me that the café where he works serves a sandwich called the Son of Salmon, to which I replied, “. . . wait, what?!” I spent the next hour brainstorming sandwich names for my future food cart, Killer Sandwiches. The ToasTed Bundy. The Jarls Manson. Traditionally, the way to make this is to assemble the sandwich, cut out the center, then crack an egg into the middle once you begin grilling.

Teeny Tiny Rainbow Cakes. You’ve probably seen many full-size rainbow cakes (here's one with White Chocolate Buttercream and who can resist this Vanilla Rainbow Cake?). But there’s something special about having a tiny little rainbow cake of one’s own, which is why I’m making these for a friend’s birthday later this month. They’re just the ticket to bring a smile to anyone’s face, especially a slightly birthday-weary guest of honor! These are easy to make, and a fantastic candidate for “make-ahead” due to the freezer time involved. The parchment paper is actually, I believe, the most important part of the recipe—the layers are so thin that there’s no other way to handle them. The parchment paper provides both stability AND mobility!

Measure out six sheets of parchment paper to line your 9”x13” pan. Divide the mixture evenly into six bowls. Preheat your oven, and prepare the first layer. Pour the batter into the pan, and spread it just to the edges of the pan with a spatula. Bake the layer for about 10 minutes.
Rainbow Cherry Jigglers Recipe. Picture 44701 « DIY Geometric Favor Boxes. DIY Pinata Cupcakes. I did a dou­ble take when I came across these yummy treats.

Every­one loves those amaz­ing piñata cook­ies, but what about piñata cup­cakes? This recipe from blog­ger La Rec­eta de la Feli­ci­dad shows you how to turn any cup­cake, muf­fin, or cake (or any dessert for that mat­ter) into a piñata by adding a choco­late dome filled with sweet surprises. The La Rec­eta de la Feli­ci­dad blog is filled with won­der­ful images of culi­nary bliss. The pho­tog­ra­phy is com­pletely amaz­ing and the recipes are yours for the taking.
Handmade Charlotte. Sprinkle Bakes. The perfect cheesecake. Oreo Cupcakes.
I realize St.
Death By Oreo Cupcakes. They are probably the best Oreo cakes I have ever tried.

A lot of cake's that I have experimented with before are like a vanilla cake with bits of Oreo in them, which didn't really give them enough Oreo flavor. But these were a lot better. I used a dark chocolate fudge cake mix instead of just a regular chocolate cake mix, which went really well with the cookies and gave the cakes just a little more flavor. So, in this recipe there is Oreo's in the cake, in the frosting, and at the bottom is a Oreo surprise. That's right, you put a whole Oreo at the bottom of the cake. Ingredients 1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size 1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional) 1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box) 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract cupcake liners Preheat oven to 350 degrees.